Glossary · Trucking Operations
Detention Pay.
Compensation paid to a carrier when loading or unloading takes longer than the contractually free time (typically 2 hours).
What it is
Detention pay is compensation for excessive loading or unloading time at the shipper or consignee. The industry-standard free time is 2 hours at pickup and 2 hours at delivery — anything beyond that is detention. Standard detention rates run $25–$75 per hour, negotiable per broker and per lane.
Detention requires documentation. Timestamped check-in and check-out at the facility — captured by the driver's app, the broker's tracking platform, or a paper bill of lading with facility stamps — is the proof. The driver must request detention before leaving the facility or it's typically lost; brokers won't pay retroactive detention claims filed days later. GPS records and ELD logs corroborate the claim if the broker pushes back.
Detention is not the same as TONU (load cancelled before pickup) or layover (overnight forced wait). It's specifically hourly compensation for excess in-facility time on the same business day.
Why it matters for trucking finance
Detention is often where the difference between a profitable load and an unprofitable one shows up. A 4-hour unload at a busy grocery DC turns a $400 deadhead-adjusted profit into break-even unless detention is collected. Brokers vary widely on detention pay reliability — tracking which brokers reliably pay detention vs. which don't is part of operator profitability discipline, and one of the highest-leverage broker-vetting signals available to an owner-operator.
Factoring companies treat detention charges like other accessorials — billable on the same invoice or on a separate one, depending on the broker's procedure. Keep timestamps, screenshots, and tracking records; the difference between a paid detention claim and a denied one is documentation, every time.
Related terms
- Accessorial Charges — Additional fees on a freight bill beyond the base line-haul rate — detention, lumper, layover, fuel surcharge, tolls, etc.
- Truck Order Not Used (TONU) — Compensation paid to a carrier when a load is cancelled after the truck is dispatched but before pickup; partial payment for the trip.
- Layover — Compensation paid when a driver is required to wait overnight or longer at a pickup/delivery beyond normal turnaround time; typically $100–$250/day.
- Proof of Delivery (POD) — Signed document confirming the consignee received the freight in acceptable condition; required to factor most trucking invoices.
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